


Sidekicks

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Description of snake bite, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Violence, With a few detours along the way, mentions of injury, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-06-22 19:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15589053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: By day Grindelwald is a celebrated ruthless businessman and by night he terrorises the city. Theseus is a well loved local politician and war hero who just so happens to spend his nights fighting to save the city from Grindelwald's evil grip. It falls to Newt to pick up the pieces after a fight and tend to his wounds while Percival is Grindelwald's right hand man. They've got to stop meeting in hospital waiting rooms and striking up a conversation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *gulp* It's a WIP. Why do I do this to myself? Updates will be a bit haphazard but there shouldn't be a longer wait than 2 weeks between chapters. If it's over that then give me a gentle nudge but otherwise do please be patient.
> 
> Tags will change over time and rating may go up!

The waiting room was warm and generic. Newt had sat in plenty of them before and no doubt was going to familiarise himself with more in the future. He’d already admired the various posters advocating charities to help with conditions, browsed through the meagre offering of magazines (at least the ones that didn’t look like biohazard waste) all while continually keeping an eye out for the return of Theseus.

It was almost impossible to miss the tailored man who sat in the corner passively. While he didn’t move or draw attention to himself he still radiated a quiet confidence of someone who was at ease and almost accustomed to such a chaotic environment. Newt glanced down at his hands and absentmindedly picked off the last few specks of blood that clung to his skin. The chair next to him scraped and the man he’d been watching earlier sat down with two cups of coffee. He held one out for Newt.

“You looked like you could use a drink,” the stranger placed the cup in Newt’s hand.

“Thanks,” Newt replied and automatically went to take a sip of the drink. It was too hot and bitter for his taste but he tried not to let it show on his face. The stranger laughed quietly.

“I can get sugar and creamer if you need,” he said. “I’m Percival by the way.”

Newt looked the man in the eyes as introduced himself and pondered why he accepted a drink from a stranger. But he figured they were already in a hospital so if it was anything nefarious he was in safe hands and would only have Theseus’ chiding to put up with.

“Waiting for someone?” Percival asked, his drink untouched still.

“Brother, idiot fell off a ladder with a chainsaw while doing up the house.” It was close enough to the truth. He did fall from a great height but there was no DIY involved and it wasn’t quite a chainsaw. “You?” Newt tried to direct the conversation away from his situation.

“Boss is a bit of a klutz,” Percival replied with a shrug.

“What do you do?” Newt’s curiosity got the better of him and Percival gave him a small smile of surprise.

“Private security.”

Newt’s eyes roved over Percival’s pressed suit, obviously not an off the rack outfit. If his eyes didn’t deceive him then there was the slightest of bulges from a concealed weapon. Private security indeed, bodyguard more like. Newt couldn’t help but wonder who he worked for.

They sat and sipped their drinks, Newt more out of politeness and for having something to do than because he enjoyed it. People came and went, some moaning and crying others quiet in their worries. Theseus ought to have been out by now and Newt chewed his lips as he wondered what could be taking so long.

“You seem nervous?” Percival commented after a while. He rolled his now empty cup between his hands.

“Not really. Worrying means you suffer twice,” Newt shrugged as his eyes scanned the room. There was a soft scoff from next to him.

“I’m more of a “this too shall pass” kind of guy myself but I get it.” There was another beat of silence before Percival spoke up again. “What do you do?”

“Huh?” Newt turned to look at him and then words caught up with his brain. “I work in conservation and rehabilitation. Most of my work centres around rescuing wildlife that’s been kept as exotic pets. I do try to rehabilitate them into the wild but most I find suitable homes for.”

Percival hummed in appreciation and Newt returned to watching the people come and go. Why Theseus had to pick that day to fight his arch nemesis was beyond him. He knew Newt wasn’t usually available on a Tuesday to offer support. The media was going to be full of articles about the great war hero turned local politician taking a tumble and probably breaking his ankle. It was just as well that Grindelwald the ruthless wealthy businessman the media adored was allegedly out of town. Newt knew better, the man was always conveniently busy when the Dark Lord wreaked havoc in the city. It was the worst kept secret really, Grindelwald was the Dark Lord, Theseus his nemesis who protected the city from his nefarious schemes. During the day they were both upstanding and respected members of society, neither could figure out how to unmask the other without charting their own demise too.

It occurred to Newt that he should ask Percival who he was working for. But when he turned the chair was empty save for a slip of paper with a name and a phone number on it. It made things a little easier for Newt, he could always text the man if needed. He palmed the number before shoving it into his coat pocket.

“Newt,” a voice called and he looked up to see Theseus hobbling on crutches, a bandage tight on his arm. He was bare chested, his shirt obviously beyond repair while his trousers had seen better days they at least stayed firm around his hip. Typical he should refuse hospital scrubs. Though on second thought they probably would have rubbed the scrape on his shoulder too much so Newt let it pass without a comment.

“What’s the verdict?” he asked instead. They walked next to each other, Newt had long ago learnt not to hover at his brother’s elbow in case he fell. If he fell then he fell. Pride was a strange thing but Newt had long since given up trying to understand.

“A severe sprain but not broken. Stitches will need to come out in a week’s time but you can sort that. Lots of rest, elevation, bad TV and ice cream.”

“I am not getting you ice cream,” Newt’s automatic response was familiar territory. They bickered on their way to the car. As Newt was getting in he happened to glance up, on the other side of the parking lot Percival was helping someone into the car. He looked up and their eyes met, Percival’s charge snapped something before looking up. Newt swallowed bitterly as his eyes locked with Grindelwald’s briefly. He fumed quietly as he got in the car and drove Theseus home. Why was it that all the good ones were either taken or worked for the enemy?


	2. Chapter 2

A cup of milky sludge was pushed towards Newt as he waited yet again for Theseus. It had been a good eight week run without a hospital in sight. That didn’t mean it was an injury free period but nothing sinister enough to need more than an antiseptic wipe, a bandage and maybe a few stitches.

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” Percival held the plastic cup in front of Newt who refused to take it. In fact he refused to even look at Percival. Why the man was there in the first place was beyond him, Grindelwald had won the fight by simply pushing Theseus over a low wall. His brother had crashed to the ground and hit his head on the concrete slabs. So much for a scenic rooftop fight, it was over before it could really even start. Once Grindelwald had realised that Theseus wasn’t getting up quick without any assistance he’d made a quick exit and Newt had been left to pick up the pieces.

The cup was set down on the chair next to him and Percival settled on his other side with a sigh.

“You looked like you could really do with a cup of coffee.” Silence stretched between them. “I don’t have much time today.”

“Good,” Newt finally broke his silence and looked away stiffly. The waiting room had been fairly empty and it had been impossible to blend in and hide in plain sight. Not that he’d ever been terribly good at that but he still tried.

“I guess I now know why you never called,” the sigh sounded world weary and Percival stood up. If Newt had been feeling poetic he would have said he could hear his joints creak with the weight of responsibility placed on them.

“Why are you here anyway?” Newt tried not to sound bitter. “Grindelwald won this round.”

Opposite him it sounded like Percival was holding back a laugh. It made Newt glance up and his suspicions were confirmed, Percival was fighting a slightly cruel smile.

“In his haste to get away the Dark Lord rather inelegantly tripped down the last few steps of a rusty fire escape. So we’re here to get him a tetanus shot.”

Newt snorted at that.

“Wish I’d been there to see that,” he lamented.

“I’ll get it recorded next time. Though if you’re handy with CCTV hacking then the alley behind the flats will have it on file until 9pm this evening when it will be magically corrupted footage. That’s the latest I can give you.” Percival looked like he wanted to continue but Grindelwald was coming out of the corridor. Immediately Percival’s whole demeanour changed, all kindness and good humour faded and Newt tried to reconcile who he’d just been talking to with the man who stood facing him. For a moment Percival’s eyes softened.

“And if you ever need a chat about how idiotic your brother is, how sick and tired you are of picking up the pieces after him. Well, you’ve got my number. I think I know how you feel.” Without another word Percival swept out of the waiting room and fell into step just behind Grindelwald.

Settling back into his chair Newt picked up the rapidly cooling coffee and tried to forget about Percival. He also tried to not think about the number that rather than binning he’d slipped into the book he was reading. It had been a while since he’d used a bookmark and justified his actions through the desire not to let paper go to meaningless waste. A lonely 20 minutes later his name was called. As he stood next to Theseus’ bed and was once again given a rundown on how to manage concussion at home Newt’s mind drifted. He could keep Theseus awake and be on the lookout for signs of deterioration while juggling a lion cub and a traumatised bear as well as having a raging cold. At the moment he was only concerned with the python he’d been working with the last few days so having Theseus join the fray was nothing to worry about.

They drove home in relative silence, Newt occasionally prompting Theseus into talking for the sake of staying awake. The automatic gates opened as they drove up to them and let them through to a tunnel of trees which lead up to the house. Rather than taking the official route Newt drove them down a hidden track to another set of gates which opened at the press of a button. They were much more heavy duty and the fence they joined to ran alongside the trees and shrubs that lined the main path. Newt drove them forward into what seemed like a cage and the gate behind them closed with a slight clang. Only then did Newt press the release for the next set of gates. It might have seemed excessive to go through three of them but as soon as he drove through the last set he could see some of his rescued creatures out on the grounds. Anybody who didn’t know better would have been terrified of them, they were more security than any paid organisation could provide. Or rather, they would have been were they not all tame and injured in some way. The panther up in the distance had half her tail missing, the runt of the litter grizzly was blind, somewhere on the grounds there roamed a tiger who only had three paws. They were all Newt’s creatures, too injured or tame to be released into the wild so he did his best to care for them himself.

Inside the house he sat Theseus down after shooing a fennec fox off the sofa. His brother smiled up at him bashfully and Newt just rolled his eyes. Why his brother felt the need to play hero to the city was beyond him. Even worse was the fact that Newt couldn’t just walk away from him and leave him to it. So he was stuck, caring for his creatures and Theseus. On the worst of days he wasn’t sure which was the more civilised option. A capuchin monkey landed on his shoulder and drew him from his musings. The more Newt thought about it, the more the phone number tucked safely in his book on the bedside table called to him. Sure Percival may have been fighting for the wrong side but perhaps he could be swayed.

After 2am when it was safe to let Theseus sleep for a couple of hours unsupervised Newt dragged himself to bed. His book mocked him with the piece of paper sticking out of it. Frustrated and exhausted he tugged at the scrap until it tore in his hand, he cursed and flipped through the book for the other half. Carefully he pushed the pieces together and typed the number into his phone. Under it Newt typed a message.

“Thanks for the coffee today. Want to meet up for a chat soon?”

He put his phone to the side, not expecting a reply immediately. In fact Newt didn’t really expect a reply at all. With a sigh he turned off the light and snuggled down in bed to sleep for a few hours before he had to go check on Theseus. Just as he was drifting off his phone buzzed and lit up the room. Grumbling Newt reached for it and read the text.

“My pleasure. Can’t do tomorrow but Wednesday ought to work. Meet by the clock tower in town at 4pm?”

Newt squinted at the message and without thinking he replied.

“See you there.”

It was only when he was comfortably curled up in bed that he realised what he’d just done. He’d cancel it the following day when he was more awake. There was no point in worrying about it now.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day was a write off as far as Newt was concerned. Theseus was merrily pottering around the house, his headache only a mild annoyance to him but the man himself was a great source of frustration to Newt. He got a call just before 6 in the morning about a lioness who’d been seized during a raid. She was in a bad way, sedated for transport and half an hour out. Newt had staggered around his room to look at least a little presentable before going down to the quarantine and assessment room to make sure it was set up and ready.

The person on the phone hadn’t been kidding when they said the lioness was in poor shape, she was emaciated, her fur was chewed out in patches due to stress, her claws too long, teeth broken from gnawing at chains. It made Newt’s blood boil as he took notes on her. As the sedation began to wear off she snarled and snapped at him. She needed space, food and time. There was no telling just yet whether she’d be fit to release back into the wild on some conservation land or whether she was going to be another resident. Newt could only hope she’d recover and gain her freedom.

All the while he was busy with his new creature Theseus lingered at the back. He made them sandwiches, did some of the smaller tasks and was generally acting as a runner for Newt. It was helpful but his brother’s presence did grate on Newt’s nerves at times. The questions, the nagging to eat, reminders of where he put things, they were all so well meant but Newt did not need it in that moment. And things didn’t improve when they left the lioness to explore her new territory. It was probably much more enriched than wherever she had been kept before and Newt was quietly confident she would settle without any pacing. It didn’t stop him keeping an eye on his phone which was linked to the cameras in the enclosure.

By the time Newt was done with sorting out the newest addition to his menagerie it was time to feed everyone. He left Theseus to help nurse the two bear cubs in the nursery while he filled buckets with feed and meat before piling them onto a wheelbarrow. He could have had help, plenty of people wrote asking for jobs or even volunteering opportunities but Newt refused them all. As long as he could manage with his creatures he didn’t trust anybody else with their welfare. On particularly bad days when he was especially possessive he wouldn’t even let Theseus help out.

Finally the day was over and done with, Theseus had redeemed himself a little when he spotted that the lioness was getting more and more distressed by something in her enclosure over lunch. Newt had abandoned his half eaten sandwich in favour of going down to investigate, his brother meandering behind him, his own sandwich still in his hand. It had turned out to be a bucket that had the lioness so out of sorts and after a few tense minutes Newt had managed to remove it from her enclosure and made a note to feed her from a basket rather than a bucket for the foreseeable future.

That night he crashed into bed exhausted. He eyes landed on his phone and something niggled at the back of his mind about it but before he could really think about what it was he fell asleep.

In the morning Newt saw Theseus off for work and returned to his creature. He set about cleaning, sorting through permits, sending out gentle letters of refusal for volunteers, firm rejections offers of adoptions of the more exotic creatures and filling out grant forms. It was a lot of work but something that he was happy to get lost in. His phone buzzed next to him and Newt frowned. Theseus wasn’t due home until around 7 that evening.

“Running a bit late but on my way, should be there around 4:15.” It was a message from Percival and Newt briefly panicked. He’d forgotten to cancel the coffee date he’d accidentally set up. Every excuse he could think up was flimsy and didn’t ring true even to his ears. It wasn’t like he could honestly say he changed his mind and didn’t want to meet Percival anymore. That was a dickish move and Newt was raised better than that. There was nothing for it. Newt hurriedly packed his things away and threw a coat on. Nothing on his desk was particularly pressing and he could leave it until either the evening or the next day.

By the time Newt rushed to the clock tower it was almost half past 4 and Percival was already there. He looked surprisingly dashing in dark jeans and a comfortably swamping cardigan to hold the cool breeze at bay.

“Sorry I’m late,” Newt said in a way of greeting. The smile Percival shot him made him glad he didn’t get round to cancelling their plans.

“I wasn’t sure whether you were going to show. There was no response to me message so I assumed maybe you weren’t so keen after all.” At least Newt had the grace to look away ashamed. There was a light scoff as Percival moved to stand next to Newt.

“All the same I’m glad you came. I know a good tearoom which you might prefer to a bad hospital coffee.”

They headed off in the direction of Newt’s favourite tearoom but he kept his mouth shut. Quietly he wondered if he’d seen Percival there before, not realising who was a few tables over. The silence stretched on until they sat down and Percival handed him a menu like a gentleman.

“This is actually my favourite place,” Newt finally confessed and put the menu to the side, “I usually get the same blend.”

Opposite him Percival’s face brightened as he agreed that the tearoom was one of the best ones and regaled Newt with the tale of how he accidentally wound up there one evening when Grindelwald decided he didn’t need him for the evening but he needed to stick close by just in case anything went wrong.

They fell silent as their teas were served and for a few minutes they both just stared at their drinks and shot each other glances when the other wasn’t looking.

"My brother would kill me if he knew I was meeting up with you," Newt laughed as he reached for his cup.

"My boss would kill me too but I have a sneaking suspicion you're joking when you say that," Percival replied. Newt gave him a long look.

"And I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not." They stared at each other and Newt tried not to panic at the implication of Percival's silent agreement. He didn’t want to endanger the man by his very presence but before he had a chance to voice his concerns Percival spoke up.

“So what is it that you do when you’re not playing nursemaid to your brother?” That was a question Newt could spend hours talking about. He watched Percival’s gaze first widen in wonder before frown in disbelief.

“You’re that Scamander?” he finally bit out with disbelief.

“It’s not that common a name. There’s only my brother and I this side of the ocean,” Newt replied with a pout. “Why do people have such a hard time believing I am capable of doing my job?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Percival began, “you just seem so, I don’t know, not the kind to wrestle with large animals and risking your life.”

“I know, I’m much more the sort that looks to go travelling the world while leeching off a trust fund and doing nothing.”

“Actually I was going to say you struck me as the academic type,” Percival said and took a sip of his tea. It was almost dainty and if Newt hadn’t know better than the fact that Percival had intimidated and possibly even killed with those hands he would have fallen for the adored professor look his was giving out. All that was missing was a pair of glasses.

Their conversation returned to Newt’s job, how he looked after his creatures. Much to his surprise Percival expressed gentle interest in them but not once did he ask to meet them. That was something a lot of people did upon meeting Newt, wanting to get up close and personal with his creatures because everybody wanted a picture with fearsome predators. Instead Percival kept to an honest wonder and admiration, not just for the creatures but for what Newt did too. It was refreshing.

In exchange for his stories Percival regaled him with the excitement of life as being the head of security for the biggest business magnate in town. How often his teams were summoned to an alarm which turned out to be caused by idiots leaning on panic buttons or on one memorable occasion a short out because coffee had been spilt on the reception desk.

“Then there’s the personal security, I got to scout out meeting places and then sit outside for a few hours while the boss makes deals,” Percival almost rolled his eyes at that. “Most of my life is waiting around actually. Means I’m really good at tetris.”

Newt snorted. His teapot was long since empty and he all but jumped out of his seat when his phone rang. The apologetic look he sent Percival as he picked up was the best he could do.

“Where are you?” It was Theseus on the other end.

“Out. With a friend.”

The short conversation that followed had Newt turn in his chair uncomfortably and look outside. His eyes widened when he realised it had gone dark.

“I’ll be home soon,” he promised Theseus and rolled his eyes. “I’m out with a friend, I will be coming home. Please, yeah, put my plate in the oven.”

Another minute later he put the phone down with a sigh.

“Friend, eh?” Percival grinned and Newt flapped a hand at him.

“I can’t exactly say I’m having tea with the lead henchman of your arch nemesis, can I?” Newt shot back and Percival held his hands up in acceptance of that. “But, you’re not as bad as I expected. Perhaps given time friend might be a term I could honestly use for you.”

Percival’s head snapped up at that and he smiled, wide and honest. The corners of his eyes crinkled and Newt had to take a moment to remember where he was.

“I like the sound of that. It was lovely getting to know you Newt. I hope we can have tea again.”

“I hope so too. And if your boss is ever in a meeting and you’re bored of tetris then feel free to drop me a message.”

Newt was out of the door and lost in the darkness the next minute while Percival took a little while to gather his things and head home himself. The scarf Newt had left behind in his haste was tucked into his pocket. He’d have to return it next time they saw each other.


	4. Chapter 4

Life didn’t change much after the coffee date. Which wasn’t a date at all, merely two fed up people venting at each other. Or at least that’s what Newt kept telling himself even as he juggled the milk bottle under his chin so he had a spare hand to grab his phone. Texts from Percival were clustered and it was obvious when the man was waiting for Grindelwald to finish a meeting.

“I think the receptionist is terrified of me.” The text made Newt frown in puzzlement. Typing with one hand was a bit tricky but he managed to send a few question marks. Before he even managed to put his phone away he could see the reply being typed. Sure enough a minute later he got a longer text.

“I was just playing tetris. Completely zoning out and I was getting so close to that jingle it does when you hit a certain level. I think she asked me if I wanted a drink and I wasn’t paying attention. Anyway, don’t say “can’t you see I’m busy” and two minutes later when you die in your game throw your phone onto the seat next to you with a growl of “die you fuckhead” then accidentally stare menacingly in the person’s direction.”

Newt wanted to shake his head in despair at the man but the milk bottle was in the way. There were so many feelings he couldn’t quite articulate. The dichotomy of Percival being a terrifying, competent and almost brutal right hand man and yet at the same time a bit of a walking disaster when not in work mode as astounding. Instead of writing it all out he hoped that a picture would convey all he felt and thought more effectively. To that end he snapped a picture, admittedly not his finest but there was only a certain level of appeal one could achieve when trying to feed a bear cub with a bottle wedged under his neck. But to his credit Newt thought he’d made the best he could of it. At least if he wasn’t looking his best then Boromir would steal the spotlight in the cute department. What the picture didn’t convey though was how not three seconds after he took and sent the picture Faramir had ambled up to Newt’s calf for a nibble to remind him that it wasn’t only his brother that needed feeding. By the time Newt was done and got to pick his phone up again it had a barrage of messages.

“I’m glad you couldn’t see my face when I saw that photo. Because what a cutie. Not just the bear either.” That was the first message and Newt flushed at the praise.

“I thought you were joking about working so up close and personal with wildlife. Your brother has nothing on you, don’t know why you aren’t the superhero running around with him as your sidekick. You’re a badass.”

“I mean. You have a very nice ass. It’s not bad. Not that I’ve looked. I’m just assuming. But. Yes. Anyway. Ass. Nice. Yes. Goodbye.” Newt tipped his head back and let out a huff of a laugh. His phone buzzed again. It was a picture of Percival, cheeks aflame as he burrowed into his scarf to hide. Oddly enough the scarf seemed really familiar.

“That’s my scarf!” Newt texted in outrage.

“Finders keepers. Oh look, my boss is done. I have to go. How convenient. If you want your scarf back you’ll have to come get it. Tonight 20:00 at the clock tower again.”

That was annoyingly smooth and if Newt had been the suspicious type he’d have thought that Percival had stolen his scarf in order to wrangle another date out of him. Not that Newt would have objected to the idea at all to be honest. He’d enjoyed the company, someone who seemed to if not understand then at least appreciate the difficulties of being a glorified henchman.

“I guess I’ll have to pay something in exchange for your hostage.”

“A kiss on the cheek will do.” The reply had Newt double take and he was glad only the bear cubs saw him flap around in a fluster.

The rest of the day both dragged by and sped along. There were no more messages from Percival, though Newt imagined the man was busy with work now that Grindelwald had finished with his meeting and didn’t need a bodyguard. Doing physical tasks such as cleaning out enclosures left a lot of time to think and Newt couldn’t help how his mind wandered back over and over again to Percival. Whether the man was bent over a desk and sorting out paperwork, or maybe he was holding training seminars. His talents seemed to be wasted when he played second fiddle to Grindelwald but it wasn’t something Newt felt he could bring up in a conversation. Not just yet.

That evening he was getting ready, Theseus was hurling insults at the TV as he watched the news. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and all Newt had said to him was that he was meeting a friend. That had earned him a wink and a smile. Everything was going as planned until his phone buzzed at about the same time Theseus let out a roar.

“Newt. We’ve got to go. Now,” Theseus yelled and there was the sound of mad dashing about as he tried to find his superhero outfit.

“Got to cancel, sorry,” Percival’s message read and Newt sighed. He trudged down the stairs to find Theseus already in his outfit.

“Sorry about your date but the Dark Lord has issued a challenge,” Theseus gave him a wry grin. Silently Newt got in the car and began to drive them to the abandoned airfield a few miles outside of the city.

Once there it wasn’t difficult to find Grindelwald. He was standing by a mound of things on fire and cackling, doing his best impression of a deranged supervillain. Next to him, half hidden in the shadows Percival stood by stoically. He looked good, his slacks were tight in all the right places, he wore a vest over his shirt and a scarf was wrapped around his neck. Their eyes met but neither so much as smiled before they turned to look at their respective idiots posturing and trade a few blows. Grindelwald picked a branch off the fire and waved it at Theseus who backed off pretty quickly. Except he tripped and went crashing down onto his back. Newt tried not to roll his eyes when Grindelwald threw his branch away and kicked Theseus in the ribs for good measure.

“A pitiful performance yet again. I hope you do better next time,” Grindelwald announced and flounced off into the dark. Percival followed him obediently but where he stood was a scarf. It was just within grasping distance if Newt approached Theseus from the other side. So by the time he was crouched next to his brother he was wrapped in the still warm scarf which smelt vaguely unfamiliar.

“Why do you let him do this to you? You’re the world’s worst superhero,” Newt grumbled as he helped Theseus sit up.

“But if I win then he won’t come back again. Then who is going to be my arch nemesis?” Theseus whined and squinted at Newt. “Where did you get the scarf from?”

“It’s the one you knitted for me you idiot. Do I need to take you to hospital to get your head checked again?”

Theseus pursed his lips and shook his head. Defeated but not overly distraught he got in the car and let Newt drive them back home.

“Really sorry about your date,” Theseus offered in the half dark. Newt shrugged.

“They cancelled anyway, it’s no big deal.”

There was nothing else to say after that. They got home, Theseus went to shower while Newt got ready for bed. His phone buzzed on the bedside table.

“Sorry about tonight. You still owe me hostage fees. Guess I’ll have to collect next time?”

“Next week Wednesday my brother is out of town. Come over, I’ll cook dinner.” It was a bold move but it was the only time Newt could guarantee that Theseus and his stupid heroics wouldn’t get in the way and that Percival wouldn’t be discovered. He was going to tell Theseus eventually but not just yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Wednesday was a chaotic affair, more so than usual. The whole house was turned upside down by mid-afternoon with Theseus seething about his cufflinks.

“You don’t understand Newt! I need those cufflinks,” he whined as he upended one of Niff’s many nests. A few coins rolled out but no cufflinks.

“But you have so many of them, why can’t you choose any other one? What about the banana ones instead?” Newt followed him with a tired sigh and started picking up remnants of the nest. Niff chittered agitatedly on his shoulder until every last coin was put back into the nest under his watchful beady gaze.

“No no no no no,” Theseus threw his hands up in the air and stalked towards the next nest, “I must have the pineapple ones.”

“But why?” Newt finally had enough. An awkward silence descended between the brothers and Theseus turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

“Because,” his eyes flitted to the side, “it’s a Brazilian party not and Indian one. Bananas are from India while pineapples are from Brazil. I can’t believe you’re such an uncultured swine. I raised you better than this Newt.”

“You raised me to pick up the pieces after you, you self-centred oaf. Now, have you looked in the little box next to your cufflink holder? I seem to remember you put a couple in there that didn’t fit once your holder was full.”

“Of course I looked there!” Theseus scoffed but Newt didn’t miss how he stopped quite so adamantly searching through Niff’s nests and subtly made his way back towards his bedroom. The triumphant crowing that sounded from within had Newt rolling his eyes. As subtly as he could he looked at the clock. It was rapidly approaching panic o’clock because he still had to tidy, feed everyone, shower and cook before Percival turned up. Four hours did not sound like it was going to be enough.

“You’re going to be late,” he drawled as Theseus burst out of his room in his lurid green tuxedo. He had a small case with him for his overnight stay at some swanky hotel the gala was being held at.

“I’m going to be fashionable,” Theseus shot back and trotted down the hallway, “and you’d better appreciate me. This gala is partially raising funds for your little sanctuary. Annoy me some more and the money may well go to another charity.”

“Look Dougal in the eyes when you say that.” He was waved off with a huff. “Have a good time tonight, don’t get into any trouble.”

“You say that like you expect me to,” Theseus mock pouted.

“Isn’t Grindelwald also going to be there?”

“Is he? I can’t say I pay attention to what that bleached pineapple is doing,” Theseus replied nonchalantly. Something about that niggled at Newt’s mind but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Instead he reminded his brother to behave and not embarrass the family name too much. Not that he would have, his whole career was based on schmoozing with people while alcohol and money was involved. It was still nice to gently annoy him though. Brotherly love and all that. Finally Theseus was out the door and getting into a taxi that would whisk him to the gala. Newt gave himself one moment to lean against the wall and stroke Niff before taking a deep breath, rolling up his sleeves and getting down to the dirty work. Two hours later the few rooms he intended to have Percival in were mostly clean, there was only so much that could be done for all the various fur stuck to the throws and what not. Perhaps he’d take them off before Percival got there. It had been a while since he’d seen the sofa uncovered and he mulled over what colour they had picked in the end. A quick peek under the throw answered his question. A nice brown that didn’t show up dirt too much. A good solid choice even if he said so himself.

Time wasn’t on his side, Newt moved through the house like a tiny manic hurricane on a warpath. He twirled through the kitchen, chopping vegetables, meat and mixing batter for some simple cupcakes. Usually he enjoyed cooking but not under pressure. Everything ready he put things in the oven or the fridge for later and rushed to feed everyone. He felt guilty for not spending more time with his creatures, especially those who resided with them but he had a date that evening. Once everything was satisfactory Newt flung himself into the bathroom for the world’s quickest shower. Only that morning he’d pondered the merits of taking a little longer to make sure everything was clean, neatly trimmed and appealing. Now though all he had time for was to wash the sweat off his body and hastily wash his hair. He had pulled his jeans on and was rummaging for a proper shirt when the doorbell rang. He cursed, picked up the closest shirt to hand and rushed down the stairs while he tried to button it up. The buttons just weren’t playing ball though, the shirt wouldn’t close over his chest and Newt growled in frustration. The doorbell rang again. Shirt hanging open he flung the door open panting. Percival stood there and looked him up and down with surprise.

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” he asked. Newt flushed at the implications, well aware of what he looked like, hair plastered down and wet, ill-fitting shirt hanging open and jeans sat low on his hips without a belt.

“Long day and I’m running late, sorry,” he eventually replied. Percival smirked.

“I can come back later,” the tease was evident and he moved to step away from the door. Newt’s hand shot out and pulled the man into the house.

“Don’t even think about escaping.”

His coat was taken and hung up and Newt led them through the house. He’d made sure it was creature free from the front door to the kitchen and he settled Percival at the kitchen island with a drink while he checked over the food.

Dinner was a relatively simple affair but Percival seemed to love it. They chattered away between bites and when the cupcakes were ready Percival moaned around the first taste most indecently.

“I do believe I owe you,” Newt smirked and got up from the table. It took a moment for Percival to catch on before he turned his cheek a little and pulled Newt closer by his shirt tails. At the last minute Percival turned his head and captured Newt’s mouth with his. If he expected any resistance it wasn’t coming. Instead Newt straddled his lap and cupped his cheek for a better kiss. They sat and made out in the kitchen, tasting of cupcakes and the elderflower presse Percival had brought in lieu of wine.

Eventually Newt pulled away with a satisfied grin just in time for the kitchen door to pop open. Percival looked at it with mild surprise but Newt just sighed and walked over to close it. If Percival had wanted to believe his ears he could have sworn he heard Newt chastising someone under his breath. He ignored it in favour of almost leering at Newt.

“I do believe the ransom was a kiss to the cheek,” he teased. Newt let out a giant sigh.

“Fine,” he groaned and walked back to Percival. However rather than sit back in his lap he grabbed Percival’s chin, pulled it to the side and left a large sopping wet kiss on his cheek. “Consider the debt paid Mr. Graves.”

The little laugh Percival let out as he wiped the saliva from his cheek was one of the most endearing noises Newt had heard the man make. He stepped back as Percival made to stand.

“The debt has been paid and with considerable interest. It’s a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Scamander. Now, before we take things any further I must request the use of the facilities. If you’d be kind enough to point me in the right direction?”

Newt pointed to the door they’d come in through and told him it was the third door on the left. With a nod of thanks Percival left. He was ever so glad that he was sat on the toilet when without warning the door clicked open to reveal a dark hallway with a white ghostly apparition floating by. To his dying days he would deny that he let out a little whimper and braced for death. Nothing happened except a pair of milky luminous eyes peered at him before drifting further along the dark corridor. Damn the Scamanders and their motion sensing lights. At least it meant Newt wasn’t going to wander by as Percival battled the urge to flip the toilet roll around so it faced the “proper” way. He was just washing his hands when the lights in the hall came on. Seeing no reason to linger and hearing Newt’s voice talking to someone. It sounded like he was gently telling someone off. Before Percival could do more than ponder he stepped out of the room and came face to face with a tiger. While he didn’t whimper he did let out a manly squeal and jumped back into the bathroom but the tiger followed before he could fully close the door. The giant nose pushed and his hand slipped off the doorknob. The beast prowled closer and licked its lips. Percival stood up on the toilet bowl. At least if the tiger was lazy and took a bite like that he’d only lose a leg.

“You okay?” Newt’s voice floated down the hallway.

“Tiger,” Percival tried to call but all that came out was a hoarse harsh whisper. He cleared his throat. “Tiger,” he called again with a little more success. It was with the slowness of a horror movie that Percival watched Newt round the doorframe with a small frown, walked past the tiger and looked at Percival expectantly.

“What’s the matter?”

“Tiger?” Percival pointed at the creature and cursed himself for the statement turning into a question.

“Ah, you know your animals.” If that had been sent by a text Percival had no doubt about it being accompanied by an emoji. Newt turned to the tiger. “What did I tell you about cuddles on the toilet? Now get back to your room. And don’t follow Dougal if he’s being a pest. You don’t need to be one too. Honestly, you know better than this.”

The tiger cast Newt a glance and its tail swished before Newt pointed at the door and gave it a look that Percival didn’t envy. Reluctantly the tiger turned and padded out of the room only to disappear down the hallway. Percival was about to thank Newt for the intervention when the man stepped closer and with an arm under Percival’s knees swept him off the toilet in a bridal carry.

“And as for you, my damsel in distress, if you ever meet a tiger in the wild you need to back away slowly, puff yourself up as big as you can, flap your coat and shout. Not timidly pose on a toilet bowl and whisper for help. Though you do it very nicely.” He put Percival down in the living room onto the sofa and turned to put some music on. It was one of the few times he gave silent thanks to Theseus for his idea to have hidden speakers around the room. Soft music filled the air and Newt moved to grab the drinks he’d already set to the side. Behind him the door opened quietly.

“Newt, no offence but is your house haunted?” Percival asked with abject horror. Newt turned to him and looked at the door with a displeased frown.

“Dougal, we’ve had words,” he called. The white apparition from before waddled into the room. Newt rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. Dougal meet Percival. Percival, this is Dougal.”

“What is he?” Percival asked and Newt choked.

“You can’t ask what he is like that! That’s so rude. But in answer to your question he’s the second ever albino chimpanzee recorded. Unlike Pinkie, the first albino chimpanzee, he didn’t integrate well with other chimps and has also been progressively losing his sight for reasons unknown so he’s living with me permanently.”

Seemingly despite the lack of clear sight Dougal made his way to the sofa and perched up on the seat next to Percival with an expectant stare.

“No treats for you Dougal, you’re rude. We talked about this. You know Mummy has a special visitor so you shouldn’t be opening doors for everyone to come say hello. What if Mary had come down?” Newt paused in his lecture as his eyes tracked movement outside the door. “Speak of the devil. Mary no, go back to bed. Come on.”

He disappeared out the door waving a few leaves of lettuce he produced from who knows where. If Percival wasn’t mistaken it looked like a misshapen small rhino that followed him. When Newt returned he looked a little flustered. With a firm click he closed the door.

“Right, that’s everyone back in their places except Dougal who is the one who opens the doors. Sorry about that.”

“Two questions,” Percival said, “one, Mary?”

“Sumatran rhino, confiscated from poachers for illegal import. Just waiting for a reserve in Sabah to confirm they’ll take her. What was your other question?”

“Mummy?” The flush that spread down Newt’s cheek and neck was a delight to watch. Percival tracked it with his eyes in fascination.

“I have a lot of young pass through here. They all needed a caretaker and somehow Mummy just stuck. I know it’s weird, sorry,” Newt mumbled at his feet and shuffled. Percival took pity on him.

“Nothing to apologise for, it’s cute in its own way,” he looked around the room and smiled at an idea. “You look like you could really do with a sit down. Unfortunately the seat next to me is taken, my lap however isn’t.”

He patted his knees in invitation and watched as after a moment’s hesitation Newt lurched forward and all but threw himself in his lap. If at one point Newt reached over to cover Dougal’s eyes when he deepened their kiss it was perfectly understandable. No offspring wants to see their Mummy making out with what could potentially become their new Daddy after all.


	6. Chapter 6

The wind whipped over the rooftop and Newt wonderer why Grindelwald and Theseus insisted on such dramatics. If he were to become a supervillain he would certainly conduct his business in more sensible places, preferably ones with a bar. That way everyone could drink, be merry and do business comfortably.

“Your great speech on heroism falls on deaf ears!” Grindelwald declared. They’d been exchanging clichéd barbs and speeches for the better part of half an hour. Newt was cold and grumpy. Standing behind Grindelwald Percival looked impassive. No doubt he was toasty warm in his long coat and leather glove. It made Newt a little jealous as he tried to tuck his bare hands into his coat pocket. Theseus and Grindelwald continued bragging and insulting each other but it had become a background drone as his thoughts wandered.

“You’ll never defeat me!” Grindelwald screeched dramatically. If Newt didn’t know better he could have sworn Percival was rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. What followed were a series of blows that drove Grindelwald back towards the fire escape. In the blink of an eye he drew a dagger from his cloak and everyone froze.

“Ha! Remember this as the day you almost caught the Dark Lord,” he crooned and took the first step down the stairs.

“At least you could be a little more original,” Newt muttered under his breath. Three pairs of eyes turned towards him and he shrugged. “Just saying.”

“You,” the dagger pointed in his general direction, “need to learn your place. Or not even your great hero can protect you.”

In a twirl of cape and the sound of rushing footsteps Grindelwald cackled on his mad dash down. Percival sighed quietly and obediently followed at a more sedate pace. Just before he took the first step down he turned to the brothers and nodded.

“Evening,” he rumbled and began his measured descent.

Silence reigned on the rooftop until Theseus turned to Newt with a whine.

“Why did you have to interrupt?”

“I’m bored and cold. You were both just flapping your lips at each other. Are you actually ever going to bring him down?”

“Yes! But this is all part of the plan. Let him think he’s powerful, that he’ll rule over the city. But now he’s got you I his sights too. It’s not fair. You’re the hero to your creatures and I’m the hero to the people.”

Newt was sorely tempted to push his brother down the stairs and be done with the whole charade. It would have solved many of his problems in the short term but after five minutes, no make it half an hour, he’d miss Theseus.

Meanwhile Grindelwald was sprawled in the back of his fancy car and Percival was driving. The supervillain lurched up from where he’d been lying spread-eagled only to start talking low in Percival’s ear.

“The brother, he’ going to be a problem.”

Percival hummed but didn’t try to offer any kind of words of wisdom, they would have fallen on deaf ears anyway.

“This is a fight between me and Theseus. We can’t have him butting in and taking the limelight.”

“Do you want me to sort him out?” Percival offered, mind going to numerous ways he could convince Newt to stay out of things. It involved some roped, a bed and a whole lot of fun. Behind him Grindelwald crooned.

“Yes, yes,” he even rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he got far too into the role of evil villain. “You do that. Sort him out for me and you will be rewarded.”

“Sure thing boss, consider him off your list of worries.” If only every other problem in Percival’s life could be sorted by sex he’d perhaps enjoy problem solving a lot more.

They pulled up outside Grindelwald’s condo. He occupied the penthouse while Percival had one of the smaller apartments on the lower levels. In fact a lot of Grindelwald’s staff lived there, rent was cheap through association and group commutes were usually more fun. After parking the car in the garage Percival waited for the lift to get to the basement. Almost absentmindedly he pulled his phone out.

“I have the blessings of the boss to “sort you out” – name a time and place for this. I’ll bring the rope and blindfold.”

“Bring lube too and I’ll have the bedroom cleared of creatures next weekend. Theseus is going on a fishing trip with some friends. But until then I’d very much like to take you out for a meal. Tuesday night?”

Percival’s heart thumped in his chest in anticipation, the idea of another date was enthralling and he scrolled through his calendar. A pout formed on his lips when he saw he was in meetings until after six in the evening. It didn’t give him much time to get changed and ready. But perhaps he’d be able to wrangle his way out of the last one, it was only a budget report and he didn’t really need to be there. He dropped Newt a message suggesting eight for their meal and grinned like a sappy fool when he got confirmation.

Briefly his mind wandered to the creatures he had met at Newt’s place. The ease with which Newt corralled them spoke volumes about the type of man he was. And Percival wasn’t going to lie, being manhandled by him and carried like some blushing bride with such ease was certainly quite a turn on. Having spent a good hour or so on his couch making out with him had left Percival on edge and he’d spent a happy extra ten minutes in the shower when he got home. He hoped his imagination wasn’t just hopeful when he thought about Newt pinning him to the wall and having his wicked ways.

Percival threw together a light dinner for himself and answered a few work e-mails while he ate. It wasn’t that he was swamped and needed to work late, his workload was usually this heavy. But he had nothing better to do with his time and if it meant taking a quick coffee break the next day then he was happy to sacrifice his evening for the sake of a few calm minutes.

In bed he fired off a quick good night message to Newt. In return he got a picture of Dougal curled up in the middle of a messy bed.

“Where am I going to sleep now?” the caption read.

“Ever heard of the no pets on the bed rule?”

“I can’t kick him out!” Newt managed to sound indignant even in writing.

“I guess you’ll just have to come over and learn to share with me.” Percival almost put a winking emoji at the end but stilled his hand the last moment. He liked to think he had a little more dignity than that at his age. The reply took a long time to come and Percival had begun to worry a little whether he pushed the boundaries a little too far. However after a ten minutes of steadily getting more nervous his phone let out a small ping to notify him of a new message. It was a picture again, Newt snuggled up in bed, Dougal’s back just about visible at the edge of the frame.

“I’ll happily share many things but not you. You’re mine and mine alone.”

 A warmth flushed through Percival’s system and before he could stop himself he sent a reply.

“Damn right. I had guessed I’ll have to share you with your creatures but I better be your only human.”

To his surprise he got an audio message.

“Good night Percival, sweet dream my love.”

Percival his replay on it quite a few times before he finally drifter off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The vibrations in Percival’s pocket were insistent. He’d ignored it the first time it rang. The second time set his teeth grinding. By the third he was mentally cussing at whoever it was and wondering why their mother hadn’t taught them the art of leaving a voicemail. After a minute where he slowly unclenched his jaw and fists his pocket began to vibrate again.

“Excuse me,” he gritted out and pushed away from the meeting table. A few curious gazes were cast his way but he didn’t pay any attention to them. In the corridor when his phone began to buzz for the fifth time he all but ripped it out of his pocket with a growl which stopped as soon as he saw the caller ID. Newt.

“Hey,” he picked up with a worried frown. Newt knew better than to repeatedly ring him like this.

“I don’t know you and you don’t know me,” a vaguely familiar voice spoke hurriedly in his ear, “but Newt was insistent I call PG Tips in his phone so you must be someone special. He’s named me Twinings.”

A chill ran down Percival’s spine. The reason the voice sounded so familiar was because it’s one that he’d listened to making great speeches about humanity, freedom of choice even if it is to make mistakes. The inflection of words was also reminiscent of Newt. Twinings was Theseus and Percival’s blood ran cold. Why Theseus was calling him from Newt’s phone, aside from ramble about being named tea brands was beyond him.

“Where’s Newt?” he interrupted.

“Right. Newt,” the tone became much more sombre, “he will be okay. The doctors are almost certain that he’ll make a good recovery.”

“What. Happened?” Percival’s voice was gravel in his throat.

“Some idiot thought that the best way to get him to take in and look after an injured rattlesnake was to put it in the mailbox. When Newt reached in blindly it bit him. Police are looking into it but it’s unlikely they’ll find the culprit.”

Percival let his eyes slip shut as he thought about the words. A dozen scenarios flitted through his mind about Newt being alone, not getting help in time, writhing in agony on the ground as his hand swelled and blood poured from his nose, ears and mouth.

“He’s at St. Matthew’s Hospital as we speak,” Theseus’ voice cut through his growing dark thoughts. “I’ll be able to stay with him until 6 but I need to tend to the creatures while he’s not here. I thought,” and here Theseus trailed off uncertainly.

“You thought what?”

“I know it’s a big ask but perhaps you’d be able to stay with him this evening? No doubt he’ll try to brush the whole incident off. But if you’re one of his special-teas then he trusts you even if he hasn’t told me about you.” The last part was said with mild annoyance and part with wistfulness. It made Percival think of the conversation he’d had with Newt about family and how in the recent years he and Theseus had drifted apart a little.

“I’ll be there. But I really have to get back to the meeting. Thanks for letting me know Theseus.”

“No worries,” Theseus replied and there was a pause. “Wait. How did you know my name?”

Eyes wide with the horror filled realisation of having given himself away Percival pulled the phone away from his ear and started at it before quickly hanging up. He rushed back into the meeting room and did his best to subtly glance at the message that came through under the table.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW MY NAME?” the first one read and was quickly followed by “WHO ARE YOU PG-TIPS?”

Percival ignored them both along with a few glances from the people around the table. As seamlessly as possible he turned his attention back to the meeting.

His final hour was a last minute meeting slotted in with Grindelwald. What the man wanted from him this time was beyond Percival. He walked out of the elevator and along the corridor to Grindelwald’s sprawling office. The view from it was spectacular, high up as it was. The setting sun cast the city in a soft golden glow. Percival stood in front of Grindelwald’s desk at parade rest, eyes fixed firmly ahead.

“Ah, you came,” Grindelwald trilled as though Percival had any other choice. “I wanted to talk to you about our little conversation from the other night.”

“Sir?”

“The brother. You know how I told you to sort him out? Well, I’ve dealt with him so you needn’t worry,” Grindelwald drawled and Percival tried not to frown.

“I was going to deal with him in the next couple of days.”

“I saved you a job, you’re welcome. But,” and here Grindelwald paused, “I regretted it. So I had antivenin shipped to the hospital. He’ll live. Now I need you to assess whether we can use him against his brother.”

Realisation dawned on Percival with an abundance of horror. The rattle snake. He swallowed thickly and cursed himself at not realising exactly what Grindelwald had meant by “deal with him”. Outwardly he didn’t even flinch, merely stared ahead and didn’t say a single word.

“Go to St. Matthews, befriend him. See if he’d be an asset to my cause.”

Percival nodded and turned sharply, his hand was on the doorknob when Grindelwald spoke up again.

“Oh and Graves?”

“Sir?” Percival replied but didn’t look over his shoulder.

“I don’t want this getting messy. Do what you have to in order to befriend him but you’d better remember it’s all a pretence. He’s a pretty one, we wouldn’t want your heart broken now, would we?”

“No sir,” Percival replied smoothly and walked out. He took a brisk pace down to the parking area, choosing to burn off his anger on the stairs rather than take the elevator. Once sat in his car he took a moment to close his eyes and hiss out a “shit” before pulling out and making his way over to the hospital.

He waited until half past six before going in, wanting to be certain he wouldn’t encounter Theseus along the way. On his way up to the ward he stopped by the hospital gift shop and picked up the most garish balloon that declared “get well soon” in large glittering letters held by a cartoon elephant. It was an awful eyesore and he was sure Newt was going to love it. For good measure he also grabbed the biggest teddy bear he could find.

The door to Newt’s room creaked open. It caught his attention and he watched as first a balloon pressed through the gap, tied to a furry paw which belonged to a teddy. A hand made the arm wave and a warbling “hello” followed. Newt huffed out a laugh.

“Children’s ward is one floor down,” he called. The door opened a little more and Percival stuck his head through.

“I know, but I’m here to see the oldest child in the world,” he teased and entered the room properly. While he’d been relatively prepared for the sight it still caught him a little off guard. Newt half sat up in the bed, dark bags under his eyes and skin a yellow with a thin sheen of sweat.  There was a sick bowl next to his bed along with a glass of water and a few napkins. Percival had read up on the effects of a rattlesnake bite and his eyes strayed to Newt’s hands. One was like he’d remembered it minus the cannula taped to the back of his hand and the drip of fluids attached to it. The other though. If Percival hadn’t know better he’d have thought it was a ghoulish Halloween prop, swollen until the skin was stretched thin and shiny, fingers forced to spread, the bite was a deep red, almost lost in the mottled red of bruising and split open sores where the skin couldn’t fight against the pressure anymore.

“Not my best look, sorry,” Newt looked away bashfully but made no move to hide his arm.

“Does it hurt?” Percival asked before mentally slapping himself. “Of course it hurts. I’m getting sympathy pains just from looking. How are you feeling? And don’t say fine.”

“I wouldn’t dream of going as far as saying I’m fine, I’m okay,” Newt replied with a light tease. It made Percival roll his eyes.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked softly instead. Newt tilted his head to the side as he considered.

“Just coming to see me is more than enough.”

Percival settled in the visitor’s chair and sighed. He’d so wanted to treat Newt to a meal but the way things were looking the best they were going to do was a smuggled in treat to counterbalance the slop of hospital food. They sat in silence until something that had been niggling at the back of his mind finally formed into words.

“PG Tips?” he asked and watched as Newt squirmed in his bed.

“I didn’t want anyone who might glance at my phone to know.”

“And it has nothing to do with Twinings and your, how did he put it? Special-teas?” There was a lilt of amusement in Percival’s voice and Newt let out a nervous giggle.

“It’s a running joke with Theseus. Being British in America and the stereotype of being tea loving it made sense.” Newt shrugged and his good hand fidgeted with the covers.

“Newt,” Percival’s voice went serious as a thought crossed his mind, “how many “special-teas” do you have? Theseus sounded rather affronted.”

“There’s Theseus, Leta as Lipton and Jacob is Jacksons. And now there’s you. My PG Tips.”

Percival took a deep breath and sought out Newt’s eyes.

“I’m honoured to be one of your teas Newt,” he said sincerely and the smile he got in return was worth more than he could hope to ever put into words.


	8. Chapter 8

It took a just under a week for Newt to be discharged from the hospital. Each evening Percival went to see him after work when Theseus left to tend to the creatures. Surprisingly there was no big fanfare about the attack and it ate away at Percival, the knowledge of who was behind it and why. The duality of loyalty wore him down minute by minute. It couldn’t last and he knew he had to come clean eventually.

On his third evening back home, Newt dropped Percival a message shyly asking for help. It had been ten days since the incident and Theseus had an evening function that he couldn’t miss. Something akin to dread pooled in Percival’s stomach as he drove up to the house. It wasn’t the prospect of seeing Newt, he missed him but the knowledge of having to own up to the facts was daunting. Still, it wasn’t by far the most difficult thing he’d ever done even if it was emotionally fraught. With a deep breath he rang the doorbell and waited. He rang it again after a minute of standing there like an idiot.

“ _On my way, just a bit slow._ ” His phone buzzed with the message. With nothing left to do he shoved his hands in his pocket and waited.

Eventually the key rattled in the lock and the door swung open to reveal a pale and sweaty Newt. There was a fever flush to his cheeks and his hand was bandaged in a sling across his chest.

“Sorry,” he panted as he leaned against the door. Percival stepped into the house and cast an assessing look after Newt. It wasn’t a promising picture. Other than the bandaged hand and obvious fever, he moved stiffly as though his joints were seized up while his lymph nodes looked swollen under his jaw.

“Shouldn’t you go back to the hospital?” Percival asked, all manners forgotten in the face of his rising worry. Leaning against the now closed door, Newt laughed.

“You’re as bad as Theseus. It’s just a bout of serum sickness,” he sounded so breezy about it all that Percival was hard pressed to argue. But he still hovered by Newt’s elbow as they shuffled deeper into the house.

They bypassed the kitchen and Percival noted with mild surprise that Dougal was trailing in front of them, as if leading Newt somewhere.

“Theseus has managed to sort most of the fussy ones out but he didn’t have time to feed everyone. Would you mind helping with the bear cubs? They’re due one more bottle each and, well,” Newt shrugged his injured arm, “I struggle.”

It made Percival freeze for a moment. He’d always been aware of Newt’s creatures, it was difficult not to be. But they were guarded like a dragon and its hoard and somehow he never thought he’d get anywhere near them. And truthfully he was a little wary of getting up close and personal with wild creatures. Nevertheless he swallowed his trepidation and even managed to smile.

“Sure.”

They got to the enclosures outside. Newt had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders but his teeth were still chattering, it wasn’t even that cold.

“You sure this can’t wait?” Percival asked but Newt shook his head violently.

“They need to eat, I’ll be fine. It’s just a fever.”

“Sit down then and talk me through it.”

Surprisingly, Newt did as told and plopped gracelessly down onto the chair in the large shed. He instructed Percival on making up the bottles, heating them and gave pointers on how to feed the cubs. They were old enough to not need to be held so he could probably feed both at the same time.

Pushing his nerves down, Percival and Newt ventured out to the cubs who came charging to greet Newt. He petted them with his free hand and laughed.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Now be good and take your bottles.”

They eyed Percival suspiciously until Newt covered Percival’s hand with his and pushed it towards one of the cubs. From there on it was easy and Percival felt laughter bubble up in his throat. He never thought he’d ever bottle feed two bear cubs under the guidance of someone he loved.

The thought zipped through his mind without a glitch and only when he paused to rewind did he realise the words. Surreptitiously he glanced at Newt from the corner of his eye but he seemed completely oblivious to Percival’s ground shaking realisation. Trying not to draw any attention to himself, Percival shifted but Newt’s tired eyes landed on him all the same.

“You okay?” he asked softly and merely got a nod in reply.

From then on Percival tried to keep his eyes on the cubs and everything else Newt asked him to do; anything to keep him away from Newt and the pressing knowledge that he was going to have to potentially ruin everything by being honest.

Finally they were done and Newt sagged into the chair in the shed.

“Let’s get you back to bed,” Percival suggested. He should have realised sooner that Newt wasn’t feeling even remotely okay. When Newt let Percival put an arm around his waist to steer him towards the house he could feel heat radiating off him. The temptation to say something was strong but it wouldn’t have changed anything, instead Percival just helped where he could.

The sigh with which Newt sank onto his bed came from his core. It gave Percival an excuse to fuss over him, tuck him in and grab him some water. It was as much procrastination on the matter that Percival could handle. Everything else that needed to be done was over with and he had no more excuses. Awkwardly he perched on the bed and offered Newt a wry half smile.

“Newt,” he began. Immediately it felt like the temperature in the room dropped and Newt’s eyes watched him with guarded curiosity. “I need to be honest with you. The rattle snake in the mail box, I don’t think it was an accident. I think it was-”

“I know,” Newt cut in with a rueful grin. “Thank you for being so honest though.”

“Wait, you knew?” Percival’s hand flew to his mouth in surprise, a habit he thought he’d managed to get rid of. “How? Why? Since when?”

“ _Crotalus willardi obscurus_ – also known as a New Mexico Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake. It wasn’t the most subtle when everyone knows Grindelwald’s symbol is an obscurus.”

Percival sat there stunned as he tried to work things out in his head. All along Newt had known, not only known but didn’t tell anyone, didn’t turn his back on Percival, didn’t clue Theseus in. The man was insane and part of Percival was exceptionally grateful.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Why should I? Either you knew about it and were going to eventually mention it or slip up. Or you didn’t know about it and then why should I worry you with it?” Newt shrugged lay twisted towards the bedside table. His fingers brushed against the laptop and Percival was up in an instant, helping set it up for him.

“He wants me to recruit you,” Percival finally bit out. Newt’s eyes never left the screen as he hummed. “Find out if you and your creatures can be used against Theseus. And he’s made it clear I’m to do it by any means but without any genuine affection behind it.”

That made Newt glance up at him and raise an eyebrow.

“Obviously his instructions have come a little late; my heart is already involved in the matter. And I don’t know how much longer I can keep this balance.”

Percival let his fears shine through as he met Newt’s eyes which were fever bright.

“Let’s hope the balance is never tipped then,” Newt replied and turned his laptop towards Percival. “Theseus had been grumbling about this and I know Grindelwald has a hand in it.”

They proceeded to hash out plans for a happy medium to steer both Theseus and Grindelwald towards. One that would give rise to minimal conflict and a happy outcome for all parties concerned. No doubt was going to be difficult to persuade the two idiots to go in the direction Percival and Newt had planned. But if it avoided any more rooftop conflicts for a while it was going to be utterly worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some very exciting news over on tumblr - @ladyoftheshrimp.


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